Bracket assembly for connecting rails of various configurations to a support structure

ABSTRACT

A bracket assembly for attaching rails of multiple configurations to a support structure. The bracket assembly may include a base piece having a plate with a pair of flanges extending substantially perpendicularly therefrom. An insert may be configured to fit between the flanges and within the rail to provide support to the rail. A pin may be inserted through openings in the flanges, the insert, and the rail to attach the rail to the insert and the base piece. A cover may be placed over the base piece to provide a pleasing appearance to the bracket assembly. A single sized base piece, insert, and pin may be used to connect rails of different sizes and shapes to the support structure.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. ProvisionalApplication No. 60/440,307, filed Jan. 13, 2003, and U.S. ProvisionalApplication No. 60/355,382, filed Feb. 6, 2002, which applications arehereby incorporated by reference herein in their entireties, includingbut not limited to those portions that specifically appear hereinafter,the incorporation by reference being made with the following exception:In the event that any portion of the above-referenced provisionalapplications are inconsistent with this application, this applicationsupercedes said provisional applications.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

[0002] Not Applicable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] 1. The Field of the Invention

[0004] The present invention relates generally to bracket assemblies,and more particularly, the present invention relates to a railattachment bracket assembly used to secure a rail to a support structuresuch that rails of different configurations may be used with the samebracket.

[0005] 2. Description of Related Art

[0006] Railings of various sizes and configurations are used todesignate boundaries such as in fences for example, or to protectindividuals from dangerous locations. Additionally, railings on staircases and decks help to steady people and prevent accidental injury. Inrecent years, there has been a tremendous increase in the use of vinyland similar products for constructing railings. The vinyl products havenumerous advantages over the prior materials. For example, vinyl railscan be shaped in various configurations to provide a desired aestheticappearance or strength. Vinyl is flexible and less prone to damage thanwood and other prior materials. Vinyl is also mark resistant and doesnot require frequent repainting or staining to protect the fence orrailing from the elements. Additionally, the vinyl products are usuallycost competitive with the other materials. Because of these advantages,vinyl has become a material of choice for making fences and columns, aswell as railings for decks and staircases.

[0007] While the vinyl products are highly desirable for such uses, thefact that the vinyl is typically formed into hollow rails or postsraises certain difficulties. Primarily, the lack of any center supportmakes vinyl rails and posts more difficult to attach to supportstructures, especially to other pieces of vinyl.

[0008] Various different bracket systems are known in the art to attachrails to support structures. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,873,671(granted Feb. 23, 1999 to West) discloses a rail attachment bracket witha snap-on cover. The attachment bracket has a face plate having anintegral support member extending away from the face plate forsupporting a hollow rail. The integral support member is sized toaccommodate a rail having a particular configuration. Rails havinghollow openings that are too small are not able to fit around thesupport member. Rails having hollow openings that are too large allowmovement of the rail with respect to the support member. Thus, adifferent sized attachment bracket is required for each differentconfiguration of rail that is used.

[0009] Rail brackets used in most commercial applications must meetvarious strength and functional standards such as those establishedunder the Building Officials and Code Administrators International, Inc.(BOCA), the Standard Building Code (SBC), or the InternationalConference of Building Officials (ICBO) for example. Furthermore, sincemany brackets are designed to attach only to rails of a specific designor shape, for each type of rail and bracket combination, considerabletesting must be accomplished to ensure that the products meet theapplicable standards. The testing required to meet the standard approvaladds to the cost and complexity of producing the brackets. Furthermore,the complexity and cost of producing and storing brackets of varioussizes and configurations increases with the number of different bracketsthat are required. Installation in the field is also more difficult whenproper sizing of a bracket is required with a specific rail.

[0010] Thus, there is a need for an improved rail attachment bracketwherein the bracket can be used with rails having differentconfigurations so that the bracket is more versatile and the cost oftesting to meet applicable standards is reduced. The attachment bracketshould also be inexpensive and easy to use. Additionally, the bracketshould be concealed to provide a finished look to the railing.

[0011] The prior art is thus characterized by several disadvantages thatare addressed by the present invention. The present invention minimizes,and in some aspects eliminates, the above-mentioned failures, and otherproblems, by utilizing the methods and structural features describedherein.

[0012] The features and advantages of the invention will be set forth inthe description which follows, and in part will be apparent from thedescription, or may be learned by the practice of the invention withoutundue experimentation. The features and advantages of the invention maybe realized and obtained by means of the instruments and combinationsparticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] The features and advantages of the invention will become apparentfrom a consideration of the subsequent detailed description presented inconnection with the accompanying drawings in which:

[0014]FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a bracket assembly andrail in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

[0015]FIG. 2a is an end view of the bracket assembly and rail of FIG. 1;

[0016]FIG. 2b is an end view of the bracket assembly and an alternateembodiment of the rail;

[0017]FIG. 3a is a perspective view of an exemplary alternativeembodiment rail which may be used with the bracket assembly of thepresent invention;

[0018]FIG. 3b is an end view of the rail of FIG. 3a;

[0019]FIG. 4a is a perspective view of a further exemplary rail whichmay be used with the bracket assembly of the present invention;

[0020]FIG. 4b is an end view of the rail of FIG. 4a;

[0021]FIG. 5 is a break-away top view of a cross-section, taken alongline A-A in FIG. 2a, of a rail and bracket assembly attached to asupport structure;

[0022]FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of a bracket assembly andrail for a stair system;

[0023]FIG. 7 is an end view of the bracket assembly and rail of FIG. 6;

[0024]FIG. 8 is a rear plan view of the cover of FIG. 6; and

[0025]FIG. 9 is an alternate embodiment of the base piece.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0026] For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principlesin accordance with the invention, reference will now be made to theembodiments illustrated in the drawings and specific language will beused to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that nolimitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended. Anyalterations and further modifications of the inventive featuresillustrated herein, and any additional applications of the principles ofthe invention as illustrated herein, which would normally occur to oneskilled in the relevant art and having possession of this disclosure,are to be considered within the scope of the invention claimed.

[0027] It must be noted that, as used in this specification and theappended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include pluralreferents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

[0028] As used herein, “comprising,” “including,” “containing,”“characterized by,” and grammatical equivalents thereof are inclusive oropen-ended terms that do not exclude additional, unrecited elements ormethod steps.

[0029] As used herein, “consisting of” and grammatical equivalentsthereof exclude any element, step, or ingredient not specified in theclaim.

[0030] As used herein, “consisting essentially of” and grammaticalequivalents thereof limit the scope of a claim to the specifiedmaterials or steps and those that do not materially affect the basic andnovel characteristic or characteristics of the claimed invention.

[0031] Referring now to FIG. 1, an exploded perspective view of abracket assembly, indicated generally at 10, and rail 20 is shown inaccordance with the principles of the present invention. The bracketassembly 10, may include a base piece 12, a pin 14, an insert 16, and acover 18, also sometimes referred to as a trim. Also shown in FIG. 1 isone embodiment of a rail 20 having a hollow open end 21. The rail 20 maybe attached to a support structure 23, such as a post or wall as shownin FIG. 5, using the bracket assembly 10 in accordance with theprinciples of the present invention. It will be appreciated, asdiscussed more fully below, that the rail 20 may have variousconfigurations within the scope of the present invention.

[0032] The base piece 12 may include a substantially planar plate 22having means for attaching the base piece 12 to the support structure23. In one embodiment of the present invention, the means for attachingthe base piece 12 to the support structure 23 may include openings 24 inthe plate 22 through which bracket fasteners 25 such as screws (see FIG.5), bolts, or nails for example may be attached. It will be appreciatedthat the means for attaching the base piece 12 to the support structure23 may include other structures such as clips, clamps, adhesives orwelding for example, within the scope of the present invention.

[0033] The base piece 12 also may include at least one flange 26extending in a substantially perpendicular orientation from the plate22. In one embodiment, a pair of flanges 26 may be spaced apart on theplate 22. The flanges 26 may include one or more supports 28 to help theflanges 26 sustain lateral loads placed upon them. The supports 28 maybe oriented in a plane substantially perpendicular to the flanges 26 andalso to the plate 22. Also, the flanges 26 may include one or moreapertures 29 for receiving the pin 14 to secure the rail 20 to the basepiece 12. The apertures 29 may be rounded or formed as slots tofacilitate insertion of the pin 14.

[0034] The plate 22 may also include a groove 32 extending along backside edges of the plate 22. The groove 32 may be used for attaching thecover 18 to the base piece 12 as discussed more fully below. The plate22 may also have tapered edges 33 adjacent to the groove 32 on a frontside of the plate.

[0035] The pin 14 may have a round cross-section and a smooth surface,characterized by an absence of threads, to facilitate insertion intoapertures 29, and may be dimensioned to extend across the flanges 26. Itwill be appreciated that the pin 14 may have various sizes andconfigurations within the scope of the present invention.

[0036] A rail fastener 13 may also be used in addition to the pin 14 toattach the rail 20 to the base piece 12. It will be appreciated that therail fastener 13 may include a threaded screw or a nail for example, andmay pass through a flange 26 on one or both sides of the base piece 12,as well as through the rail 20 and the insert 16. The rail fastener 13may provide an additional attachment mechanism for the bracket assembly10, and it will be appreciated that the bracket assembly 10 may be usedwithout the rail fastener 13.

[0037] The insert 16 may be substantially “H” shaped to provide strengthfor supporting the rail 20. The insert 16 may include opposing sidewalls 17 separated by a connecting wall 15. However, it will beappreciated that the insert 16 may have other configurations within thescope of the present invention, such as a substantially “U” shape orrectangular shape for example. The insert 16 may also include apertures30 in the side walls 17 for receiving the pin 14 to attach the insert 16to the base piece 12. The insert 16 may be sized to fit inside the rail20 so that the rail 20 resides between the flanges 26 and the insert 16as shown most clearly in FIG. 5. Thus, the bracket assembly 10 maydefine a space 27 between the flanges 26 and the insert 16 for receivingthe rail 20. The insert 16 provides strength to the bracket assembly 10so that the rail 20 may be adequately supported.

[0038] The cover 18 may be sized to receive the rail 20 and serve toconceal the base piece 12 to provide an aesthetically pleasingconnection. The cover 18 may include a tab 34 which may be received inthe groove 32 of the base piece 12 to attach the cover 18 to the basepiece 12. The tab 34 may be made of a resilient material to allow thetab 34 to deflect when pressed against a solid object such as thetapered edge 33, and spring back to its relaxed position when the tab 34enters into the groove 32. Such attachment of the tab 34 into the groove32 may also be referred to herein as a snap-fit. The cover 18 may alsobe configured to allow the tab 34 to slide into the groove 32 without asnap-fit.

[0039] The cover 18 may define a perimeter 19 which corresponds to theexterior shape of the rail 20. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 a, theperimeter 19 may be rectangular in shape to correspond with a rail 20having a rectangular shaped cross section. However, covers 18 may beused for rails 20 having different exterior shapes, or rails 20 havingdifferent shaped cross sections may be used with a rectangular shapedcover 18. As shown in FIG. 2b, an alternative bracket assembly 10 a mayhave a different shaped rail 20 a and cover 18 a with a non-rectangularperimeter 19 a.

[0040] It will be appreciated that the bracket assembly 10 may beconfigured to support the rail 20 without the cover 18, but the cover 18provides advantages of enhanced security since the cover 18 may causethe pin 14 and base piece 12 to not be readily accessible. Moreover, thecover 18 may be configured in various different decorativeconfigurations to provide an aesthetically pleasing appearance.

[0041] The rail 20 may also include apertures 31 for receiving the pin14 to attach the rail 20 to the insert 16 and the base piece 12. It willbe appreciated that the rail 20 may have various configurations, such assubstantially rectangular as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2a, or somewhat “T” orloaf shaped as shown in the alternate embodiments of the rail 20 a, 20b, and 20 c shown in FIGS. 2b, 3 and 4 respectively, or numerous otherconfigurations.

[0042] The base piece 12, the pin 14, and the insert 16 may be made of amaterial having suitable strength and durability characteristics, suchas metal for example. The cover 18 may be made of vinyl or othermaterials for example to match the material of the rail 20. The rail 20may be made of various materials such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC), acomposite of wood flour and PVC, a composite of wood flour andpolyethylene, or pultruded fiberglass for example. However, it will beappreciated by those skilled in the art that other materials may be usedto make the rail 20 and the components of the bracket assembly 10.

[0043] Assembly of the elements of one embodiment of the invention willnow be discussed. The base piece 12 may be attached to the supportstructure 23 by inserting bracket fasteners 25 through the openings 24and into the support structure 23. The insert 16 may be placed withinthe rail 20 so that the apertures 31 in the rail 20 are in alignmentwith the apertures 30 in the insert 16. The rail 20 may be placedbetween the flanges 26 so that the apertures 31 in the rail 20 and theapertures 30 in the insert 16 are in alignment with the apertures 29 inthe flanges 26. The pin 14 may be inserted through the apertures 29 inthe flanges 26, the apertures 31 in the rail 20, and the apertures 30 inthe insert 16. A rail fastener 13 may also be inserted through one ormore of the flanges 26, the insert 16 and the rail 20. The cover 18 maybe placed over the rail 20 and the tabs 34 placed into the grooves 32 ina sliding or snap-fit arrangement.

[0044] It will be appreciated that a particular base piece 12, pin 14,and insert 16 may be used with rails 20 of different configurations. Forexample, the insert 16 may be configured to fit within either arectangular rail 20 or a somewhat “T” shaped rail 20 b, 20 c as shown inFIGS. 3 and 4 respectively. The somewhat “T” shaped rails 20 b, 20 c mayhave a relatively narrow lower portion 35, and a relatively wide upperportion 37. Furthermore, the rails may have various dimensions that fitbetween the flanges 26. Therefore, rails having a multi-angular topportion 36 as shown in FIGS. 3a and 3 b, or a rounded top portion 38 asshown in FIGS. 4a and 4 b, may be attached to the support structure 23using the same base piece 12, insert 16 and pin 14. This configurationof attachment assembly provides an advantage of providing flexibility touse the same bracket components with rails 20 having different shapesand designs. Furthermore, the bracket assembly 10 may be tested forstrength and operational characteristics to meet the standardsestablished, for example, under the Building Officials and CodeAdministrators International, Inc. (BOCA), the Standard Building Code(SBC), or the International Conference of Building Officials (ICBO).Thus, the present invention allows compliance with the applicablestandards requirements without having to test multiple bracketassemblies for the various different rail configurations that may beused. This reduces the cost and complexity of manufacturing andpreparing the bracket assembly 10 for market. The base piece 12, pin 14,and insert 16 may be configured so that minimum strength standards aremet without the characteristics of the rail 20 being included. Thus, thestrength contributions due to any rail 20 used may cause the bracketassembly 10 to exceed the strength standards even further, andadditional testing is not required to demonstrate compliance with thestrength standards even if different rails 20 are used.

[0045] Referring now to FIG. 6, an exploded perspective view of abracket assembly 10 d and rail 20 d for a stair system is shown. It willbe appreciated that the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIG.6 contains many of the same structures represented in FIGS. 1-5 and onlythe new or different structures will be explained to most succinctlyexplain the additional advantages which come with the embodiment of theinvention illustrated in FIG. 6. The embodiment of the invention in FIG.6 includes an insert 16 d having an attachment end 40 that may be cut atan angle a, whereas the insert 16 disclosed in FIGS. 1-5 may have anattachment end that is perpendicular to the length of the insert 16.Thus, when the attachment end 40 is attached to the base piece 12, theinsert 16 d projects at an angle so that the rail 20 d may be installedat a corresponding angle along a stair system or other sloped surface.The rail 20 d may also have a corresponding attachment end 42 that maybe cut at an angle α similar to the insert attachment end 40.

[0046] Referring now to FIG. 7, an end view of the bracket assembly andrail of FIG. 6 is shown. The cover 18 d may have a perimeter wall 44defining a rail opening 46. The rail opening 46 may be sized to receivethe rail 20 d at a desired angle α, such as thirty-two degrees forexample. It will be appreciated that as the angle α increases, the railopening 46 must be longer, from top to bottom, to accommodate the rail20 a. Accordingly, the cover 18 d for use on stair systems or slopes maybe formed longer than the cover 18 for use in other applications.

[0047] As shown in FIG. 8, indicia 48 may be placed on the back side ofthe perimeter wall 44 to indicate locations where the perimeter wall 44may be removed, such as by routing or cutting, to provide a rail opening46 sized to accommodate the rail 20 d at a particular angle α. It willbe appreciated that the indicia 48 may include any variety of visiblemarkings known in the art. The indicia 48 may include lines representinglocations where the perimeter wall 44 may be formed corresponding toangles a ranging from twenty to forty-five degrees, for example.However, it will be appreciated that indicia 48 corresponding to anyrange of angles α may be used within the scope of the present invention.

[0048] Referring now to FIG. 9, an alternative embodiment of the basepiece 12 a is shown. The alternative embodiment base piece 12 a issimilar to the base piece 12 discussed above, except the flange 26 mayinclude a thickened portion 50. The thickened portion 50 may include anarea where additional material has been added on the outside of theflange 26 to increase the strength of the flange 26.

[0049] It will be appreciated that the structure and apparatus disclosedherein is merely one example of a means for attaching a base piece to asupport structure, and it should be appreciated that any structure,apparatus or system for attaching the base piece to the supportstructure which performs functions the same as, or equivalent to, thosedisclosed herein are intended to fall within the scope of a means forattaching the base piece to the support structure, including thosestructures, apparatus or systems for attaching the base piece which arepresently known, or which may become available in the future. Anythingwhich functions the same as, or equivalently to, a means for attaching abase piece to a support structure falls within the scope of thiselement.

[0050] In accordance with the features and combinations described above,a useful method of attaching a rail to a support structure includes thesteps of:

[0051] a) attaching a pair of flanges to the support structure;

[0052] b) placing an insert within a hollow open end of the rail forsupporting the rail;

[0053] c) placing the rail between the flanges; and

[0054] d) attaching the flanges to the insert.

[0055] Those having ordinary skill in the relevant art will appreciatethe advantages provided by the features of the present invention. Forexample, it is a feature of the present invention to provide an improvedrail attachment bracket assembly wherein the bracket can be used withrails having different configurations so that the bracket is moreversatile and the cost of testing to meet applicable standards isreduced. Another feature of the present invention is to provide such abracket assembly that is inexpensive and easy to use. It is a furtherfeature of the present invention, in accordance with one aspect thereof,to provide a bracket assembly that can be concealed to provide afinished look to the installed railing.

[0056] It is to be understood that the above-described arrangements areonly illustrative of the application of the principles of the presentinvention. Numerous modifications and alternative arrangements may bedevised by those skilled in the art without departing from the spiritand scope of the present invention and the appended claims are intendedto cover such modifications and arrangements. Thus, while the presentinvention has been shown in the drawings and described above withparticularity and detail, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skillin the art that numerous modifications, including, but not limited to,variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner ofoperation, assembly and use may be made without departing from theprinciples and concepts set forth herein.

What is claimed is:
 1. A bracket assembly for attaching a rail to asupport structure, said rail having a hollow open end, said bracketassembly comprising: a base piece configured for attaching to saidsupport structure, said base piece comprising a plate and a pair offlanges projecting from said plate; and an insert removably attachableto said pair of flanges, said insert comprising opposing sidewalls forsupporting said rail; wherein said insert is configured to fit withinsaid hollow open end of said rail such that rails of variousconfigurations may be attached to said support structure.
 2. The bracketassembly of claim 1, wherein said pair of flanges project in asubstantially perpendicular orientation with respect to said plate. 3.The bracket assembly of claim 1, wherein said insert comprises aconnecting wall positioned between said opposing sidewalls.
 4. Thebracket assembly of claim 1, wherein said pair of flanges each comprisean aperture for receiving a pin to attach said rail to said pair offlanges.
 5. The bracket assembly of claim 1, wherein said base piecefurther comprises means for attaching the base piece to the supportstructure.
 6. The bracket assembly of claim 5, wherein said means forattaching the base piece to the support structure comprises an openingfor receiving a bracket fastener.
 7. The bracket assembly of claim 1,wherein said insert is comprised of a substantially “H” shaped member.8. The bracket assembly of claim 1, further comprising a pin forattaching said insert to said pair of flanges.
 9. The bracket assemblyof claim 8, wherein said pin has a smooth surface characterized by anabsence of threads.
 10. The bracket assembly of claim 1, furthercomprising a cover for concealing said base piece.
 11. The bracketassembly of claim 10, wherein said base piece comprises a groove, andsaid cover comprises a tab for inserting into said groove for attachingsaid cover to said base piece.
 12. The bracket assembly of claim 2,wherein said pair of flanges each comprise at least one support arrangedin a plane substantially perpendicular to said flanges and said plate.13. A bracket assembly for attaching a rail to a support structure, saidrail having a hollow open end, said bracket assembly comprising: atleast one flange for being attached to said support structure; an insertremovably attachable to said at least one flange for supporting saidrail; and a pin for attaching said insert to said rail and said at leastone flange, said pin having a smooth surface characterized by an absenceof threads; wherein said insert is configured to fit within said hollowopen end of said rail such that rails of various configurations may beattached to said support structure.
 14. The bracket assembly of claim13, further comprising a plate attached to said at least one flange. 15.The bracket assembly of claim 14, wherein said at least one flangeprojects in a substantially perpendicular orientation with respect tosaid plate.
 16. The bracket assembly of claim 13, wherein said at leastone flange comprises two flanges.
 17. The bracket assembly of claim 13,wherein said at least one flange comprises an aperture for receivingsaid pin.
 18. The bracket assembly of claim 14, wherein said platefurther comprises means for attaching the plate to the supportstructure.
 19. The bracket assembly of claim 18, wherein said means forattaching the plate to the support structure comprises an opening forreceiving a bracket fastener.
 20. The bracket assembly of claim 13,wherein said insert comprises a substantially “H” shaped member.
 21. Thebracket assembly of claim 13, wherein said insert comprises an aperturefor receiving said pin.
 22. The bracket assembly of claim 13, furthercomprising a cover for concealing said at least one flange.
 23. Thebracket assembly of claim 22, further comprising a plate, said platecomprising a groove, and wherein said cover comprises a tab forinserting into said groove for attaching said cover to said plate. 24.The bracket assembly of claim 13, wherein said at least one flangecomprises at least one support arranged in a plane substantiallyperpendicular to said at least one flange.
 25. A bracket assembly forattaching a rail to a support structure, said rail having a hollow openend, said bracket assembly comprising: at least one flange for beingattached to said support structure, said at least one flange configuredto be positioned outside of said hollow open end; an insert removablyattachable to said at least one flange for supporting said rail, saidinsert configured to fit inside said hollow open end; and a cover forconcealing said at least one flange; wherein said insert and said atleast one flange are configured to receive rails of variousconfigurations.
 26. The bracket assembly of claim 25, further comprisinga plate attached to said at least one flange.
 27. The bracket assemblyof claim 26, wherein said at least one flange projects in asubstantially perpendicular orientation with respect to said plate. 28.The bracket assembly of claim 25, wherein said at least one flangecomprises two flanges.
 29. The bracket assembly of claim 25, whereinsaid at least one flange comprises an aperture for receiving a pin forattaching said insert to said at least one flange.
 30. The bracketassembly of claim 26, wherein said plate further comprises means forattaching the plate to the support structure.
 31. The bracket assemblyof claim 30, wherein said means for attaching the plate to the supportstructure comprises an opening for receiving a bracket fastener.
 32. Thebracket assembly of claim 25, wherein said insert comprises asubstantially “H” shaped member.
 33. The bracket assembly of claim 25,wherein said insert comprises an aperture for receiving a pin forattaching said insert to said at least one flange.
 34. The bracketassembly of claim 25, further comprising a pin for attaching said insertto said at least one flange.
 35. The bracket assembly of claim 26,wherein said plate comprises a groove, and wherein said cover comprisesa tab for inserting into said groove for attaching said cover to saidplate.
 36. The bracket assembly of claim 25, wherein said at least oneflange comprises at least one support arranged in a plane substantiallyperpendicular to said at least one flange.
 37. A bracket assembly forattaching a rail to a support structure, said rail having a hollow openend, said bracket assembly comprising: a base piece for attaching tosaid support structure, said base piece comprising a plate and a pair ofopposing flanges projecting from said plate for receiving said railtherebetween; an insert removably attached to said base piece for beingpositioned inside said hollow open end; wherein said bracket assemblydefines a space between said flanges and said insert for receiving saidrail such that rails of different configurations may be received in saidspace.
 38. The bracket assembly of claim 37, wherein said insertcomprises a pair of opposing walls.
 39. The bracket assembly of claim37, wherein said flanges project in a substantially perpendicularorientation with respect to said plate.
 40. The bracket assembly ofclaim 37, wherein said flanges comprise an aperture for receiving a pinfor attaching said insert to said flanges.
 41. The bracket assembly ofclaim 37, wherein said base piece further comprises means for attachingthe base piece to the support structure.
 42. The bracket assembly ofclaim 41, wherein said means for attaching the base piece to the supportstructure comprises an opening for receiving a bracket fastener.
 43. Thebracket assembly of claim 37, wherein said insert comprises asubstantially “H” shaped member.
 44. The bracket assembly of claim 37,wherein said insert comprises an aperture for receiving a pin forattaching said insert to said flanges.
 45. The bracket assembly of claim37, further comprising a pin for attaching said insert to said flanges.46. The bracket assembly of claim 37, further comprising a cover forconcealing said base piece.
 47. The bracket assembly of claim 46,wherein said base piece comprises a groove, and wherein said covercomprises a tab for inserting into said groove for attaching said coverto said base piece.
 48. The bracket assembly of claim 37, wherein saidflanges comprise at least one support arranged in a plane substantiallyperpendicular to said flanges.
 49. A method of attaching a rail to asupport structure, said rail having a hollow open end, said methodcomprising the steps of: a) attaching a base piece to the supportstructure, said base piece comprising a pair of flanges; b) placing aninsert within said hollow open end of said rail; c) placing said railand insert on said base piece between said flanges; and d) inserting apin through said rail, said insert, and said pair of flanges to attachsaid rail to said support structure.
 50. The method of claim 49, whereinstep (a) comprises inserting a bracket fastener through an opening insaid base piece into said support structure.
 51. The method of claim 49,further comprising the step of aligning an aperture in said rail, saidinsert and said base piece.
 52. The method of claim 49, wherein step (d)comprises inserting said pin through two apertures in said rail, twoapertures in said insert, and two apertures in said base piecesimultaneously.
 52. The method of claim 49, further comprising the stepof attaching a cover over said base piece to conceal said base piece.53. The method of claim 52, further comprising inserting a tab on saidcover into a groove on said base piece to attach said cover to said basepiece.
 54. A method of attaching a rail to a support structure, saidrail having a hollow open end, said method comprising the steps of: a)attaching a pair of flanges to the support structure; b) placing aninsert within said hollow open end of said rail for supporting saidrail; c) placing said rail between said flanges; and d) removablyattaching said insert to said flanges.
 55. The method of claim 54,wherein step (a) further comprises providing a plate attached to saidpair of flanges, said plate having an opening.
 56. The method of claim55, further comprising the step of inserting a bracket fastener throughsaid opening and into said support structure.
 57. The method of claim54, further comprising the step of aligning an aperture in said rail,said insert and said pair of flanges.
 58. The method of claim 57,further comprising inserting a pin in said aperture through said rail,said insert, and said pair of flanges.
 59. The method of claim 54,further comprising the step of attaching a cover over said pair offlanges to conceal said flanges.
 60. The method of claim 59, furthercomprising providing a plate attached to said pair of flanges, saidplate having a groove.
 61. The method of claim 60, further comprisingproviding a tab on said cover and inserting said tab into said groove onsaid plate to attach said cover to said plate.
 62. A method of attachinga rail to a support structure, said rail having a hollow open end, saidmethod comprising the steps of: a) providing a base piece for attachingto said support structure; b) providing an insert for inserting intosaid hollow open end of said rail for supporting said rail; c)constructing said base piece and said insert to meet a building standardrequirement without regard to the rail; and d) utilizing the base pieceand insert to attach rails having different configurations to saidsupport structure.
 63. The method of claim 62, further comprisingproviding a cover for concealing said base piece.
 64. The method ofclaim 63, further comprising attaching said cover to said base piecewith a snap-fit.
 65. The method of claim 62, wherein step (d) comprisesattaching a rail having a substantially rectangular shape to saidsupport structure.
 66. The method of claim 62, wherein step (d)comprises attaching a rail having a lower portion and an upper portion,wherein said upper portion is wider than said lower portion.
 67. Themethod of claim 62, further comprising aligning an aperture in said railwith an aperture in said base piece and an aperture in said insert. 68.The method of claim 67, further comprising inserting a pin through saidaperture in said base piece, said aperture in said rail and saidaperture in said insert.
 69. The method of claim 62, further comprisinginserting at least one bracket fastener through said base piece intosaid support structure.
 70. The method of claim 63, further comprisingproviding a different shaped cover to correspond with each of thedifferent configurations of the rails.
 71. A bracket assembly forattaching a rail to a support structure, said rail being configured tobe supported in a laterally extending orientation with respect to saidsupport structure and having a hollow open end, said bracket assemblycomprising: a base piece configured for attaching to said supportstructure, said base piece comprising a substantially planar plate and apair of opposing flanges projecting in a direction substantiallyperpendicular to said plate; an insert removably attachable to said pairof flanges for supporting said rail, said insert having a pair of spacedapart opposing side walls separated by a connecting wall to form asubstantially H shaped configuration; a pin for attaching said rail tosaid insert and said base piece, said pin having a rounded cross-sectionand a substantially smooth exterior surface characterized by an absenceof threads, said pin having a length such that said pin is configured toextend from one of said flanges to the other of said flanges; and acover for attaching to said base piece to conceal said base piece andsaid pin when said pin is attached to said base piece, said cover havinga shape configured to surround a perimeter of said rail; wherein saidbase piece further comprises means for attaching the base piece to thesupport structure; wherein said means for attaching the base piece tothe support structure comprises at least one opening for receiving abracket fastener; wherein said bracket assembly comprises an aperture ineach of said flanges and an aperture in each of said sidewalls in saidinsert for receiving said pin in a sliding engagement such that said pinis configured to pass through said apertures in said flanges and saidapertures in said sidewalls in said insert and a pair of apertures insaid rail simultaneously to attach said rail to said insert and to saidbase piece; wherein said base piece comprises a groove positioned onsaid base piece so as to face said support structure, and said covercomprises a tab for inserting into said groove for attaching said coverto said base piece; wherein said pair of flanges comprise at least onesupport arranged in a plane substantially perpendicular to said pair offlanges and substantially perpendicular to said plate to strengthen saidpair of flanges; wherein said insert is configured to fit within saidhollow open end of said rail and said base piece is configured toreceive said rail between said pair of flanges such that said rail isinterposed between said flanges and said insert; and wherein said insertand said base piece are configured to be used with rails of variousconfigurations.
 72. A bracket assembly for attaching a rail to a supportstructure, said rail having a hollow open end, said bracket assemblycomprising: a base piece configured for attaching to said supportstructure; and an insert removably attachable to said base piece andinsertable within said hollow open end of said rail; said base piece andsaid insert forming part of a means for attaching rails of differentconfigurations to the support structure such that said bracket assemblyis adapted for use with rails having different cross-sectional shapes.